מְבָרְכִים רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ תַּמּוּז. אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה. יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת.

[On Shabbos Mevarchim, it is our custom] to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning and to hold a farbrengen on that day.

מַעֲנֶה אַאַזְמוּ"ר לְאַאַמוּ"ר בִּיחִידוּת, חוֹרֶף תרל"ה: הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע נִקְרָא נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא בְּהֵמָה דַוְקָא, כִּי לִפְעָמִים הוּא שׁוּעָל פִּקֵּחַ שֶׁבַּחַיּוֹת, וּצְרִיכִים לְחָכְמָה מְרוּבָּה לְהָבִין תַּחְבּוּלוֹתָיו. וְלִפְעָמִים הוּא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בִּלְבוּשׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים עָנָו וּבַעַל מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת.

בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית שֶׁלּוֹ הִיא לְפִי מְהוּתוֹ הַפְּרָטִי. וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר מִתְעוֹרֵר חֵשֶׁק גָּדוֹל לִלְמוֹד חֲסִידוּת אוֹ לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן הֵיטֵב בְּאֵיזֶה הַשְׂכָּלָה, וּבֶאֱמֶת הִנֵּה זֶהוּ רַק עֲצַת הַיֵּצֶר וּמִתַּחְבּוּלוֹת נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית לִמְנוֹעַ מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַתְּפִלָּה וְכַדּוֹמֶה.

וּנְקוֹט הַאי כְּלָלָא בְּיָדְךָ וּזְכוֹר אוֹתוֹ תָּמִיד, כִּי כָּל דָּבָר הַמּוֹעִיל אוֹ מֵבִיא לַעֲבוֹדָה בְּפוֹעַל, הִנֵּה כָּל מְנִיעָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לְדָבָר זֶה — אֲפִילוּ אִם הַמְּנִיעָה הִיא מִדָּבָר הַיּוֹתֵר נַעֲלָה — הוּא רַק מִתַּחְבּוּלוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית.

וְסִיֵּם אַאַמוּ"ר נִשְׁמָתוֹ עֵדֶן: עַד אָז לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אַז עֶס קעֶן זַיין אַ פְרוּמעֶר נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית, וועֶר רעֶדְט נאָךְ אַ חֲסִידִישׁעֶר נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית.

My revered grandfather, the Rebbe [Maharash], gave the following answer to a question addressed to him by my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], in the course of a yechidus that took place in the winter of 5635 (1874-75): “The Evil Inclination1 is called the ‘animal soul,’2 not because it is bestial. On the contrary, at times it is like a fox, the cleverest of animals, so that one needs considerable wisdom to recognize its schemes. At times, it even clothes itself in the garb of a tzaddik, who is sincere, humble, and of noble character.

“Every individual’s animal soul matches his personal nature. A person may be aroused by a great desire to study Chassidus or to meditate deeply on a given abstract concept, though in truth, this is just the counsel of the [Evil] Inclination and the machinations of the animal soul to keep him from praying, and the like.3

“Adopt this principle and remember it constantly: Whenever you encounter something that furthers or brings you to actual Divine service, anything that obstructs this — no matter how lofty — stems only from the intrigues of the animal soul.”

After quoting the above teaching, my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], concluded: “Until then, I did not know that there could be a pious4 animal soul, and even a ‘chassidic’ animal soul….”5

A Mini-Farbrengen

The Rebbe Rashab proceeded to tell his son: “From the moment I left the presence of my revered father, the Rebbe, I began to view myself, and all the facets of Divine service, in a different light…. Previously, I had assumed that the Evil Inclination and the animal soul could entice a person only to undesirable things.

“Following this yechidus… I understood that the main intention of the Evil Inclination is to confuse [a person] and to block actual Divine service. I then began to scrutinize myself and my actions very carefully.”

How, then, do we know whether a proposed course of action stems from the animal soul or from the G‑dly soul? Simply: We ask ourselves what will result from it. Will it lead to an increase in Divine service, or to the opposite?

If it will not, no matter how virtuous the suggestion sounds, we should recognize it for what it is: one of the schemes of the Evil Inclinationto prevent us from serving G‑d to our full capability.

Beyond this, however, we can even learn from the animal soul.6 Its goal is to prevent us from serving G‑d, and it works continuously toward that end, using every means possible. Our positive efforts should match that level of dedication, searching for any and all appropriate means to bring them to realization.